By Caroline Kanshabe
During a dedication prayer held at Hotel Komar two weeks ago, the Honorable Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Betty Amongi Akena, told Lira residents gathered at the grand opening of Hotel Komar that she was more than ready to shift from Oyam to Senior Quarters in Lira City to take care of her brothers-in-law at her husband’s place.
Amongi, who is expected to officially relocate to Lira City by December 2023, would like to come back to the late Dr. Apollo Milton Obote’s place in Senior Quarters and take care of her husband and other relatives of the family because she is officially married to UPC Akena.
“Fellow women, I have been married, and because of that, I am collecting my saucepans and other utensils to come back and take care of my family and other relatives of my husband in Senior Quarters at Lira City,” said Honourable Minister Amongi Betty Akena.
This is not a surprise since six months ago, Hon Amongi lost her economic temper and gave over 300 million to some groups of women in Lira City as a soft loan and pledged another 500 million shillings to be given again to organized women groups in the form of soft loans with little interest.
As if that was not enough, she donated several startup tools to a group of youth within Lira City who have recently completed a short-term vocational training sponsored by her (Amongi). Hon Betty Amongi has bought a service van shining in Lira City. Above all, she fulfilled her pledge of 70 iron sheets to Obanga-pewany COU recently. Several business communities are appreciating her for always responding to their phone calls and requests during fundraising whenever she is not on a busy schedule.
Amongi, who joined active politics under the UPC party ticket in 2001 at the age of 24, is a known political mobilizer who may hopefully become the next woman MP for Lira City, as admired by many categories of people in Lira City if she continues losing her economic/financial temper.
Rumor has it that MP Amongi may cross to the NRM party and become the NRM National Vice Chairperson, replacing the late Speaker Oulanya Jacob (RIP) if all goes well with the NRM party bigwigs. Rumor also has it that Honourable Betty Amongi is a renowned political bulldozer who has captured media attention both in Lango sub-region and other parts of Northern Uganda about her political ambitions simply because she is media-friendly and ready for media interviews any time whenever approached.
A woman who preferred anonymity in this publication said Amongi is likely to change the political weather in Lira City because she is financially disciplined to the voters, and because she can lose her economic temper in millions of shillings, many look at her as a political financial sympathizer and pro-poor people. Amongi will battle the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, who is currently serving as the woman MP for Lira City in the 11th parliament.
